Chinese Peruvian Stir-Fried Filet Mignon | Lomo Saltado | Wok Wednesdays

Lomo Saltado is a traditional Chinese Peruvian stir-fry, and another example of how Chinese emigrants adapted the local ingredients of their new land to their cooking style. Did you know that both tomatoes and potatoes are both "new world foods?"

This is an amazing stir-fry of beef, tomatoes, onions, and potatoes, flavored with garlic, soy, red wine vinegar, aji amarillo chile, sugar, cilantro, and salt and pepper.

This dish has become such a popular Peruvian dish, that often the only reference to its Chinese roots is the mound of white rice on the side. The Peruvian restaurants in our area prominently feature lomo saltado, and every time, it is accompanied with rice. 

This recipe is from from Grace Young's Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories.

While you can find lots of recipes for Lomo Saltado online, they typically include marinated beef such as flank steak. The magical ingredient in this dish is filet mignon. This beef is so tender and juicy, and does not require any marinade. Instead, a small amount of soy and red wine vinegar is stirred into the pan after the vegetables are added to the meat. 

At the end of stir-frying this amazing dish, you stir French fries into the wok with the rest of the beef and vegetables. So good. 

I had a lot of fun learning about and making this dish. While I was a bit nervous about over cooking my precious filet mignon, it turned out so juicy and perfectly medium rare. 

Luis Li, a Peruvian immigrant from northern California, taught Grace Young how to adapt the dish for the home cook, and he told her that he uses frozen aji amarillo chiles, which he buys from a local Mexican market. When I read that, I headed to my local Mexican market. There they were!!

Once all of the ingredients are prepped and the French fries are ready, this stir-fry probably takes about 3 to 4 minutes to prepare. First you sear the meat in the hot wok for about a minute. Next you add the garlic, salt, and pepper and stir the mixture for about 30 seconds. Then you add the vegetables and stir, add the soy, vinegar, sugar, aji chili, cilantro, and the French fries, and stir. Be sure to remove the mixture from the wok the minute it is ready so you don't overcook the steak. 

So delicious! This may be my new favorite recipe from Stir Frying to the Sky's Edge. You can find the recipe and the story behind it on pages 92 and 93 of the book. If you'd like to join Wok Wednesdays, check out our Facebook page. You don't have to have a blog, and Grace Young herself visits often to cheer us on!